Lyanna's Lullaby
by pizzalover1000
Summary: As she observed the baby food being wiped off Jon's chin, her baby boy whom she loved with all her heart, she wished with all her heart that it could have been her doing that, instead of another woman. But Lyanna was dead, as dead as can be. Her spirit however, still lingered around to keep watch.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **

**Alright, so I know I said at the end of my last story that I was going to be gone for a few weeks. The reason being was that I don't like keeping my readers waiting for more chapters, and didn't think I would have time to write another story before I actually went away. So I sat down and wrote this but decided not to publish any chapters yet in case I didn't finish in time. As it turns out, I did have time. So after this, I will be on hiatus for about a week. **

******By the way, I wrote the lullaby myself. Therefore, it belongs to me. So don't go using it to solve the theory about Jon's parentage, as it is simply just part of the fanfic. **Enjoy!

**Sincerely****, **

**pizzalover1000**

* * *

She watched her son flinging his food across the table, the way small children do when their first learning to feed themselves. Robb giggled, and flung some back. Lyanna watched as Catelyn turned her back, and the look of shock as the two babies were now covered in mushed up peas.

"Oh you two, at it again are we?" she said, taking a cloth and wiping her son first, then Jon.

Of course Lyanna had no choice but to trust Catelyn, she was now taking care of her child. However she did not like the hateful manner she went about doing things for Jon. She completely understood, and sometimes Lyanna felt bad for having this lie be told to Catelyn. It had destroyed Catelyn's trust in Ned for awhile, and Lyanna's poor brother was still in the process of earning it back.

As she observed the baby food being wiped off Jon's chin, her baby boy whom she loved with all her heart, she wished with all her heart that it could have been her doing that, instead of another woman. But Lyanna was dead, as dead as can be. Her spirit however, still lingered around to keep watch.

At night, was when she really got to have time with her child. Nobody else was around to interfere, so she got to interact more with Jon. She leaned over the side of his crib, and stroked his little tiny black curls. He had definitly inherited his hair colour from her, as nobody can tell that he is truly Rhaegar Targaryen's son. Only Ned knows, and he has promised never to tell a soul. Maybe not even Jon when he's old enough, perhaps he will live his life and think of her merely as an Aunt, or not even think of her that much at all. It made no matter to Lyanna, as long as he was alive. Jon's eyes widened, she knew that he could see her. Most babies could see the dead. Lyanna didn't think Robb could, he had never really noticed her.

Oh how Lyanna wished she could hold him, but it was not possible for if someone came into the room by chance and saw a floating Jon, whoever saw would probably run all the way to Dorne in fear. Perhaps to the tower of Joy, where she had been kept by Rhaegar. Truly, she had loved him. But she had been promised to another, Robert Baratheon. It was getting closer to when they were meant to be wed, and when Rhaegar turned up in the godswood and offered to take her with him, Lyanna couldn't resist. Truthfully, she regretted none of it. She would have rather died young as she did, and left a son behind her than be wed to Robert Baratheon. Ned spoke highly of him, that was true, but he was not the one being married to the man, was he.

Jon cooed, and Lyanna smiled at her son, before beginning to sing him a lullaby. Just ever so softly, so that nobody would take notice. The stone walls of Winterfell were very thick indeed.

_Beneath the mighty northern sky,_  
_Sleeps a child whose mother had to say goodbye,_  
_She wants him to know she'll always be there, _  
_Even when others seem not to care,_  
_Born from the flames in the south and the snow in the north, _  
_When the time is right the truth will come forth. _

And slowly but surely, Jon Snow fell asleep. Lyanna admired his features. Hair as dark as coal, but skin as white and soft as snow.


	2. Chapter 2

The two boys were five years old now, and beginning to think themselves men. Even though they were only children. But that was normally for little boys, they looked up to their fathers and wanted to be just like them. Lyanna knew that Jon thought Ned was his father, and looked up to him the same as Robb did. But she wondered how much of Rhaegar would come through on it's own? She also knew that Jon knew Catelyn wasn't his mother.

The hardest part of it all for Lyanna, was watching her son ask Ned who his mother was. He had sighed, and had that look in his eyes that told her he was thinking of her. He had simply told Jon, "We'll speak about this another night". Probably hoping that the five year old would forget, and it wouldn't come up for another few years. However, Lyanna's child was a smart one, and each night continued to ask the same question. Then one night, when Jon was sitting on Ned's knee and asking the same question, her brother said "She was very brave" and Jon had widened his eyes in delight, hooked on by just that one statement. But Ned had sent him off to bed right after that, and spent the rest of the night sitting by the fire, staring into it's flames.

Lyanna had cried that night, but nobody could hear her. Oh how she wished they could, just for a moment.

* * *

She observed as the two boys were practicing with their wooden swords. Robb was proving to be very skilled so far, and recieved very high praises from the swordsmaster of Winterfell, telling him how much a great warrior he would make someday. And then there was Jon, who was a little slow at picking it up. His instincts were still very slow, and his wooden sword was constantly knocked out of his hand by the great Robb Stark.

"I got you again! Your dead!" Robb yelled at his brother.

Usually Jon just seemed a little embarrassed, then continued with their practicing. However this time, Jon just stared back at Robb, with a lot of angst on his face. Robb seemed puzzled that his brother wasn't saying or doing anything, just staring at him.

"What are you doing? You lost, lets keep going" five year old Robb argued. But Jon just kept giving him the glare. Then, Lyanna noticed some tears beginning to form, and suddenly her son took off running. "Hey, where are you going?" Robb called. But never followed him.

Lyanna did though, she followed him until he seemed to have reached his final destination, the crypts. He walked about for a minute or two, trying to find a place to rest. By the time Lyanna caught up to him, coincidentally (or not but Lyanna couldn't tell) he sat right next to her tomb, and began sobbing louder than before. She peered around the corner, and approached him slowly, trying to be gentle about it. He looked at her, and then Lyanna realized that she seemed to have caught Jon's attention. For the first time since he was a baby.

"Who are you? And why are you in a nightgown?" Jon asked.

"There's no need for those kind of questions right now." she said. Lyanna had decided that it was better for everyone, even Jon, if she did not reveal her identity.

"What do you want?" Jon asked. Lyanna sat next to her son.

"What's the matter, why are you crying?" she asked, wiping a few tears off his cheeks.

"Robb _always_ beats me. I _never_ win. I'll _never_ be as good of a swordsman as him. It's probably just because _he_ has a mother and I don't" he complained to her. Lyanna felt a pain in her chest, it hurt to hear her son blaming his problems on his mother's absence.

"You'll get better, with time. Not everyone picks it up as fast" she told him.

"How do you know? Your a girl, Lady Catelyn says that girls don't learn how to use a sword" Jon said to her in a curious manner. He was always curious about everything, just like Lyanna was when she was a child.

"Because I used to watch my brothers practice, not all of them got it right away either" Lyanna told her son. She thought back to the days of observing Ned, Benjen and Brandon practicing. Back in those days, it was Brandon who was the grand champion out of the three.

She heard footsteps coming near, and knew her time with her son had come to a very short end.

"I must go, maybe don't tell anybody of my visit. It'll be our little secret"


	3. Chapter 3

In just a few short years, the boys were seven, and starting to become more immersed in the daily activities of Winterfell, and on growing up and becoming men. They had even gotten the chance to watch a beheading. Jon had changed lately though, during these past few years Catelyn had really turned things up a knotch, and had put Jon down so many times. Lyanna began to hate her for mistreating her son. Whenever he would ask questions, she would refuse to answer and scold him for it briefly. Overtime, he learnt to just keep his thoughts to himself, and became a quiet and solitary boy.

She observed as Jon entered Ned's chamber, and approached his "father" sitting by the fire.

"What seems to be on your mind Jon?" Ned asked as Jon took a seat next to him.

"This lullaby, keeps running through my head. I don't know where it came from" Jon said looking down at the floor in a shy manner. Lyanna knew that Jon never really opened up his feelings to anyone these days. He had realized it wasn't worth the disappointment afterwards. 'If only I were alive' she thought. 'We might not even live here, he'd be a very different child indeed'

"Sing it for me son, and we'll see if I recognize it" Ned said. So Jon began to sing, ever so softly.

_Beneath the mighty northern sky,_  
_Sleeps a child whose mother had to say goodbye,_  
_She wants him to know she'll always be there, _  
_Even when others seem not to care,_  
_Born from the flames in the south and the snow in the north, _  
_When the time is right the truth will come forth._

Ned's expression changed from curious to puzzled, and almost panicky in a way. Lyanna knew that Ned knew that this was no ordinary lullaby. Now despite being in spirit form, Lyanna could not read people's thoughts. She had not sang that to Jon since he was just a baby boy. When he became too old to remember things she stopped singing to him, and kept her visits only to when she was sure he was fast asleep. Sometimes she missed those days when he was small and she didn't have to conceal herself that way.

"Where did you hear that?" Ned asked.

"I just remember it. When I look back, I can hear a woman singing it softly to me. I've never heard her voice other than that before though" Jon said. Ned paused, and looked like he was going to say something, perhaps even reveal Jon's true parentage. Then stopped, and didn't.

"Think none of it son. Isn't it time for you to go to bed?" he said.

Jon obediently got up, and said, "Goodnight father" then left the room. Ned stared at the flames for a few moments, he seemed to be reflecting on some memories. Her brother had experienced a lot of sorrow, but also a lot of joy. Recently, His youngest child Bran had been born. She knew he had chosen the name after their brother, Brandon. He had lost his life because Lyanna had run off with Rhaegar. Same with their father. She had never truly forgiven herself inside for that. Brandon and her father didn't deserve to die at her cause.

She remembered choosing Jon's name, during her last hours with Ned. She had named him Jon, so that people would believe further that the child was Ned's. It would make it seems as though Ned had named him after the man who was like his second father, Jon Arryn.

"Gods, I should have known you were still with us somehow Lyanna" Ned said.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed! Sorry it was so short**


	4. Chapter 4

She followed closely behind Jon as he and Benjen approached the Wall. Lyanna had never seen the Wall either, and for a moment she simply stood there in awe, beside her son as he looked at what could possibly be the world's greatest wonder, in amazement. It definitely was enormous. Lyanna thought back to a memory she had, of one of those long nights when her and Rhaegar would stay up and gaze at the stars. Just the two of them. He would say "When this is all over, I'll take you all over the world". "Even across the Narrow Sea?" Lyanna had asked. "Yes, even across the Narrow Sea. We'll even travel from the Wall all the way to the southmost coast of Dorne". Those were fantasies that never happened, it felt strange being here without him. Lyanna remembered the day that Rhaegar's spirit had left for across the Narrow Sea, to watch over his brother and sister Viserys and Daenerys. He had taken one last look at Jon, and then disappeared into the darkness.

"They say that our ancestor, Bran the Builder built the Wall" Benjen said to his nephew.

"How could one person build _this_?" Jon remarked. Lyanna wasn't sure how she felt about Jon joining the Night's Watch. She had always hoped that he would have so much more of a life out there for him. Maybe settle down with a nice woman, and have children of his own. Then when she put a lot of thought into it, maybe it was better this way. Rhaegar's line was better discontinued.

"The man probably had help. It is also said that there is magic intertwined through the Wall" Benjen said.

"Do you believe in magic Uncle Benjen?" Jon asked. Benjen stared back at the Wall, and smiled to himself.

"Why, yes, I believe there is still some out there". And then the party continued onward to Castle Black.

* * *

Jon had wanted very much to be a ranger, Lyanna knew. But as good as a steward that he was, now it was his chance to go on this mission with Qhorin Halfhand. 'At least he'll get to experience what it's like. Just a taste, then maybe he'll be grateful that his job is as comfortable as lighting the Lord Commander's fire' she thought. Lyanna liked to see her boy looking proud and enjoying himself. Something which he never did very often.

He had trapped the Ygritte against a rock, and Lyanna knew when the other brothers left that Jon still didn't want to kill her, and it would take everything inside of him to do it. Deep inside, Jon was not a killer.

"Will you burn me, after" Ygritte said. She seemed to have come to terms with the fact that she was going to die.

"Can't. Someone might see the fire" Jon said. The wilding adjusted her hood, so that the blade would have no problem slicing through her neck.

"Strike hard, and strike true, Jon Snow" she said, "Or I'll come back and haunt ya" Jon placed the sword on her neck now. "That's cold" the wilding commented. "Go on, be quick about it"

Jon looked up at the sky, as if looking for some kind of guidance from gods. Little did he know, his guidance was standing right near him, and invisible. After waiting a few seconds, the girl turned her head to look at him, the looked back down at the ground in front of her. "Do it. Bastard, do it!" she said quite angrily. The wilding closed her eyes, and waited for a quick death. Lyanna wanted to intervene, to tell him not to kill her, but there was nothing she could do but stand there and watch. The dead had very little influence on matters of the living.

Jon swung his sword high into the air, and then came back down with a hard blow. Only, he did not swing it at the Ygritte's neck. He hit his sword hard on the rock in front of her. She opened her eyes, and turned to look at Jon in disbelief. They held eye contact, then she hit him, knocking Jon over, and ran away. Lyanna wanted him to let her get away, all he had to do was tell his brothers the deed was done, they would never know the truth. But the wolf's temper and dragon's fire ensued inside of Jon, and he got up and ran after her.

Eventually, Jon had the girl captive again, and as they slept underneath the northern stars, she noticed that neither of them was awake to keep watch. So Lyanna sat there, guarding them from the terrors of the night.

* * *

Lyanna thought that the wilding furs suited Jon much better than the black clothing of the night's watch. She had never known much about wilding culture before coming north of the wall, but over the time she had spent with her son here, she had developed an admiration for them. Secretly, she hoped that he would just stay here and make Ygritte his wife. He could still have children, and it wouldn't matter if they were the blood of the dragon or not. That made no matter north of the wall. Besides, nobody besides Ned knew the truth anyways, and he was long dead so she heard.

Jon and Ygritte had spent in this cave, reminded her of when she and Rhaegar had made Jon all those long years ago. She knew it was about to happen, even before Jon seemed to have caught any notion of it.

"We shouldn't" Jon said.

"We should" Ygritte said. And as Jon began to make love to the wilding girl, Lyanna decided to give them some privacy and leave the cave. This was none of her business. The last thing she heard as Lyanna was making her way out into the open was "You know nothing Jon Snow".

* * *

Again with this executing, Jon seemed as though he just couldn't do it. Much like the first time with meeting Ygritte. To make matters even more difficult, this was one of his own brothers that he was meant to kill. True, Jon had broken a few vows here and there, but nothing as severe as killing another brother at the hands of the enemy. Love was easier than killing. Rhaegar had proven that when he died at the Trident.

"Come on boy" urged one of the wilding men. Jon swung his sword up behind him, with an angry look on his face. But it stayed there, and Jon loosened his grip, almost letting the sword fall. Upon seeing this, Ygritte pulled out her bow and arrow and shot at the man.

"He's a crow, he'll always be a crow, and he's got his crow wife guarding him" said a wilding. Ygritte and Jon stood beside each other, each with their weapons drawn.

Then chaos ensued, Lyanna almost couldn't keep up with it all. The wildings were contantly taking swingd at Jon, and he deflected them in return. Lyanna began to wonder if one of their hits would succeed. But no, Lyanna though, she shouldn't think of that. She noticed that the red haired one had Ygritte, and just when he got her into a proper hold where she couldn't get out, Ygritte bit his arm and he retreated. Leaving Ygritte a few seconds of freedom before being wrestled to the ground again.

"You want to die, for one of them?" He said.

Lyanna's vision was immediately taken back to the main fighting, and Lyanna saw Ghost growling and showing his ferocious wolf teeth. Then another direwolf came, too quick for Lyanna to realize who it was, and attacked one of Jon's enemies. Leaving Jon a good time, to stab his sword right through his other opponent's heart.

"You were right the whole time" Jon saidm as the man's eyes rolled back into his skull. Before Jon could even let go of the body, a hawk swooped down from the sky and proceeded to attack Jon's face. Lyanna ran to her son's side and tried to intervene. She shouted at the bird once, but it still kept attacking. So she ran up to it with all her might, and with her ghostly hands she gave the bird a big shove. He flew off, leaving Jon alone. He must have thought it was a miracle.

Jon got on his horse, and galloped away.

* * *

**So this is going to be the last chapter of this story, for a long time. Consider it finished, but maybe when season four comes out if I feel like it I'll continue. Hope you've enjoyed! **


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